Avocados Can Help You Absorb Nutrients, Study Says

On their own, avocados are jam-packed with vitamins, omega fatty acids, and minerals, so the case for including an avocado in your regular meal routine is a pretty easy one to make. However, according to new research, adding an avocado to your salad might not only bring you the benefits of the avocado, but also aid in absorbing the nutrients in the vegetables around it.

The new research, which was published in the Journal of Nutrition, shows that combining avocados with carrots or orange-colored tomato sauce can help absorb and convert the carotenoids in the orange veggies to usable vitamin A. Vitamin A is known to aid in vision and immune function, while also supporting healthy skin and having antioxidant properties.

The study, which was conducted at Ohio State University, tested the carotene absorption rate on 12 men and women with raw carrots and orange tomato sauce alone and when paired with avocados. In many cases, absorption was doubled, while conversion to vitamin A even quadrupled when avocados were paired with the tomato sauce.

"Pairing certain foods together is more than just about taste - specific foods eaten together can help your body utilize the benefits more effectively," Nikki Ford, director of nutrition of the Haas Avocado Board said in a statement. "We know that avocado consumers are interested in foods that act like a 'nutrient booster.'"